Shave the area, set the device to a low intensity, press the window flat against your skin and flash, moving section by section until the area is covered. Repeat weekly for the first seven to nine sessions, then drop to a top-up every few weeks. That is the whole method. The detail below is what separates people who see results in eight weeks from people who give up.
Before your first session
- Shave the area the same day. IPL targets the pigment in the root, not the hair above the skin. Visible hair above the surface just burns and wastes the flash. Do not wax or epilate, the root must stay in.
- Patch test. One flash on the lowest setting, wait 48 hours. No lasting redness or darkening means you are good to go.
- Clean, dry skin. No moisturiser, deodorant, fake tan or oils on the area.
- Put the goggles on. The FAUSTINA ships with protective goggles in the box. Use them every session.
Which lamp does which job
The single most common mix-up we see: treating hair with the skin lamp, or skin with the hair lamp, then blaming the device. Thirty seconds here saves eight wasted weeks.
| Lamp | Marked | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Hair Removal | HR | Legs, underarms, bikini line, arms, face below the cheekbones |
| Skin Rejuvenation | SR | Tone, texture, sun spots, visible redness. See the rejuvenation guide |
| Blemish / AC | AC | Blemish-prone areas, used on its own shorter schedule |
If the device will not flash, read this before returning it
It is almost never broken. Every FAUSTINA has a skin-contact safety sensor, and the device only fires when the full window sits flat against skin. The three usual causes:
- Partial contact. On curved spots (ankles, jawline, knees) tilt the device until the whole window touches skin. Stamp mode helps here.
- Very fair or very dark patches. The sensor errs on the side of caution over tattoos, dark moles and the deepest skin tones. It is protecting you; flash around them.
- The lamp is spent. After 500,000 flashes a lamp retires. The counter is on the display, and a replacement lamp is £60 rather than a new device.
During the session
- Start on level 1 or 2 of the five intensity levels. Step up over the first few sessions as your skin allows. A warm flick is normal, pain is not.
- Glide mode for big areas. Legs, arms and thighs go fastest with the device gliding in overlapping rows.
- Stamp mode for small areas. Underarms, bikini line and fingers want single deliberate flashes with the window flat against the skin.
- Do not double-flash the same spot in one session. Once is enough.
The schedule that actually works
| Phase | Frequency | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 4 | Once a week | Hairs grow slower, some shed in week 2 to 3 |
| Weeks 5 to 9 | Every 2 to 3 weeks | Patchy regrowth, finer and lighter |
| Maintenance | Every 1 to 2 months | Quick top-ups keep skin smooth |
Consistency beats intensity. A level 2 session every week outperforms a level 5 session once a month.
After each session
Expect mild warmth or slight redness for a few hours. Keep the area out of strong sun for 48 hours and use SPF on exposed skin. Skip hot baths, saunas and exfoliating the treated area for a day.
The mistakes that slow results
- Waxing between sessions (removes the root the light needs)
- Skipping weeks early on, then blaming the device
- Staying on level 1 forever once your skin has proven it tolerates more
- Treating over tattoos, moles or broken skin (always flash around them)
- Using the wrong lamp for the job (see the table above)